Protective housing for sill cocks



Aug. 17, 1954 F. DIRE 2,686,530

PROTECTIVE HOUSING FOR SILL oOcKs Filed July 27, v1951 INVENTOR.

DIRE

Patented Aug. 17, 1954 essere UNITED STATES ATENT FFCE PROTECTIVE HOUSING FOR SILL COCKS Frank Dire, Renton, Wash.

Application July 27, 1951, Serial No. 238,925

1 Claim.

This invention relates to protective housings or covers for faucets, sill cocks or similar iittings that are exposed to weather conditions, as on the exterior of a house or building, and has reference more particularly to a removable, belltype housing adapted to be applied in a manner to completely enclose and cover a sill cock, faucet or the like so as to protect it from cold weather and prevent freezing of water therein or in the adjacent portion of the pipe line for which it is the outlet.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a simple, inexpensive sill-cock cover which may be easily and quickly'applied or removed and which will prevent freezing of water or other fluid in the protected fitting and will eliminate damage resulting therefrom.

Another object of my invention is to provide a sill-cock cover including a novel means whereby the cover is adapted to be tightly secured in fixed position against the building wall from which the sill-cock projects.

A further object of my invention is to provide a protective housing for sill-cocks and the like, which, if desired or required, may be internally lined with insulating material.

These and other objects of my invention reside in the details of construction and in the manner of use and application of the housing as will hereinafter be more fully described.

in accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section of the present protective housing, illustrating it as functionally applied and secured.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the protective cover, as seen from its open end.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a step in the functional application of the housing over a sill cock.

Fig. 4 illustrates the housing or cover applied about the faucet but prior to insertion of the locking key to the securing chain.

It is a common practice, especially in relatively cold weather, to wrap or cover faucets or sill cocks which are normally exposed on the outside of buildings. Such protection is necessary so as to prevent the water in the pipe line from freezing and bursting the line. My invention comprises a simple, inexpensive device which may be easily and quickly applied to serve as a protective cover and Which may be used during the winter and removed for storage during warmer weather. I

Referring more in detail to the drawings- In Fig. l, I have designated the protective cover or housing, in its entirety, by reference numeral li) and have shown it as secured to a faucet or sill cock il on the exterior of a building wall i2. The cover or housing, which comprises my invention, may be designed to cover any type of valve, faucet, sill cock or other form of fitting without departing from the spirit or teaching hereof. Thesill-cock illustrated is of conventional or standard type and comprises a vertical valve stern I3 and a handle I4 applied to the outer end of the stern.

In the present showing I have illustrated a round or cylindrical housing but the particuiar shape and size thereof may be varied as desired or required. It is preferred that the body portion be made of metal or plastic. In the illustrative drawing, it comprises the cylindrical body Ilia and the outer end wall Ib which are integrally formed. It is required that the cylindrical body be of sufficient length to enclose the faucet with adequate clearance. It has been found that a length of approximately rive inches is adequate for most faucets and that the diameter should be approximately six inches.

In the center of the end Wall lb is a hole or opening Il of sufficient size to permit the free passage of an attaching chain 20 therethrough. The inner end of the chain is secured to a short coiled spring 2 I. Aflixed to the outer end of the chain is a pin or key 22, which I have illustrated in the form of a cotter key. The free end of the spring is formed with an extending U-shaped hook 23, the purpose or use of which presently will be described.

As is illustrated in Fig. l, the interior surface of the housing or cover is lined with an insulation material Sil. The insulating medium may be any suitable or satisfactory material which is a non-conductor of heat, cold or temperature diiferential. Examples of such material is rockwood, felt, Wood or glass ber. An axial passage Elm is provided through the insulating material in line with the hole I1. Though it is not illustrated, if desired the insulating material may extend slightly beyond the side walls at the open end of the housing and thereby provide a gasket eiect to assure a tight seal against the building wall.

With the housing or protective cover and its parts having been constructed and assembled as hereinabove described, it may be readily applied V:accesso to a conventional sill cock or faucet in a few seconds. As is shown in Fig, 3, rst the end hook 23 on the spring 2l is secured to the vertical stem I3 on the faucet. To permit the securing of the hook, the chain 29 is drawn inwardly. After the hook has been secured, the cover is placed over the sill cock, as shown in Fig. 4, and the spring is placed under tension by means of an out- Ward pull on the chain. When the desired tension has been applied, the key 22 is projected through a chain link closely adjacent the end Wall Ib as is shown in Fig. 1, so as to maintain the tension and thus hold the inner end of the housing tightly against the building or Wall l2. To remove the housing the key is Withdrawn from the chain link, thereby releasing the tension on the spring, the housing is adjusted outwardly and the hook 23 is unhooked from the stem I3.

It is to be understood that though have illustrated only the preferred form of construction of my invention, it is to be interpreted to include modifications in size, shape, or the securing means employed.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device for the protection of a sill cock or the like that projects from a Wall surface, said device comprising a housing open at one end and of a size to receive the sill cock thereinto its open end, the wall of the housing opposite said open end being provided with a hole therein, the housing being adapted to be applied over 'the sill cock with its open end fitting against the adjacent Wall surface in a closed joint, and means for removably securing the housing in such position with its open end fitting against the Wall surface comprising a chain extending slidably through said hole in the Wall of the housing that is opposite the open end thereof, a coiled tension spring connected at one end to the inner end or" said chain, means connected to the other end of the spring for oietachably connecting this end of the spring to the sill cock, the coiled spring after being connected with the sill cock being placed under tension by grasping and pulling outwardly upon that part of the chain which extends to the exterior of the housing, and a pin adapted to be detachably applied to the chain to extend through a link thereof and bear again the outer face of said last mentioned Wall of the housing while said spring is under tension, the housing being relea'sable from the Wall by removing said pin from locking engagement With the chain and permitting a section of the chain to be drawn into the housing through said last mentioned Wall. of the housing, the entire device being then removable by disconnecting the inner end of the coiled spring from the sill cock.

References caes in the sie of this' parent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

